A place to stay
by Hashi-Hashi
Summary: Jack hasn't slept for days, so the dreamsand has accumulated. Now he visits the guardians and the dreamsand pulls him into sleep everytime. Papa north does his best to follow the wandering spirit and bring him back home. Including - brotherly Sandy and Bunnymund and motherly tooth.


TITILE: A place to stay

AUTHOR: Hashi-Hashi

DISCLAIMER: Rise of the Guardians belongs to Disney and not to the Author. There is no benefit or profit made from the creation of this work. There was no copyright intention through the production of this work.

Jack yawned and floated tiredly around the workshop, as tired as he was though he couldn't convince himself to sleep. Nothing he had ever seen was quite like what was in front of him right now.

Yetis buzzed above and below him, occasionally offering him things to touch and play with. Being the guardian of fun he was very social and the contact helped to wipe away the memories of loneliness.

Jack finally settled down on a wooden work table quiet happy to watch Phil, his favourite yeti, work. Currently Phil was leaning over the table to peer down at a new aeroplane figurine that was being tested for production this Christmas time. Phil looked over at Jack perched next to him and grunted a greeting, passing him a figurine that was dry and ready for play. Jack grinned and took it, standing up on the table and twirling it around, just to test it of course.

As he swirled it around in the air he noticed the detailed painting on it and leant down against the pole to have a better look at the patterns. They were finely painted and Jack found it hard to believe that the thick fingers of a yeti had painted them. Probably Bunnymund had come in and given them a few lessons.

The small swirls and calming greens and blues encouraged Jack's eyes to close themselves. He'd fall asleep for a few seconds then wake up again, checking over to see if Phil had noticed. Each time the yeti was still working, satisfied that Jack was happy playing with the aeroplane.

But every time Jack closed his eyes he stayed asleep a little longer. This continued until dream sand wafted into the workshop and floated around Jack, showing up a sweet scene of Jack skating around with Jamie and his Burgress friends on the lake. Noticing the glowing sand, Phil looked over and blinked in surprise when it ended right in front of Jack.

He made a signal to the other Yetis to go get North. The loud work and chatter ceased as they all started to crowd around the sleeping Jack. All of them looked surprised as the cheeky guardian's face just looked young and innocent.

Hurrying through the workshop North didn't look surprised when he saw Jack asleep. "Sandy said he would be sleeping soon, naughty boy skipping lots of sleep. Yes, it's alright, it's alright." He pushed the curious yetis and elves backwards. He was relieved that Sandy had managed to pull Jack down into sleep when he was in his home. Goodness knows where the boy could have been when the dream sand finally caught him. Sandy had told him once that if you evade the dream sand for too long it builds up and makes you sleep more than usual. Humming softly North picked Jack up from the working table. North wandered around in search of somewhere for Jack to sleep safely.

"Hmm how about sleeping here Jack?" The sleeping boy gave no response but as North went to put him down on the padded window ledge a small hand grabbed onto his sleeve. Knowing from other experiences where this was going North lifted him back up onto his hip. As he did so he made a mental note to make Jack eat more because he was too light, it worried north and supported his theory that Jack wasn't taking proper care of himself. As of yet he had no proof, but it was a relief none the less when Jack stayed with himself or the other guardians. North ran a hand through his hair, sometimes it was lame being a guardian of children, because you knew when someone was still a child. He saw it more and more as the 'teenager' phase was pushed upon children. He still delivered presents to nineteen year olds and they got as bigger grin then the four year olds. The reason behind age effecting childhood confused North. Jack was the perfect example for how age didn't affect childhood; childhood was just a fancy word for believing in happier things. That was why it ended quicker in places where living was hard. .

One of his talks with Manny had revealed that Jack would always be a child. All the hardship he had seen affected him, but it didn't stop him believing in better things. The moon expressed his hope that having an actual child guardian would always remind the older guardians what their jobs were really about. The plan was very much working, North smiled as he thought back to some of the children he managed to actually meet this year. Hopefully they would hold that memory with them as they grew up, maybe not always believing or remembering what they saw, but holding the magic of wonder that came with a real visit from him.

Jack snuggled back down onto his shoulder burying his face in the warm and furry coat and resumed sleeping peacefully. North continued humming while he worked, memories of his human father doing the same to him when he was younger made him smile. It was no secret that he wanted to be a father to Jack even cupid who saw every relationship as a romantic one knew that there was nothing more than fatherly love there. North continued working away on the various dolls and toys until Jack stirred in his sleep.

"Mnnnh..." It was common knowledge that elemental spirits like Jack weren't very happy people when they wake up. Attempting to appease the younger guardian and keep the warm atmosphere he'd built up, North tucked a teddy bear into Jack's arms.

Jack snuggled up to it after a bit of sleepy examining and went back to sleep. Not for the first time north wondered if he should just make Jack a permanent room at the pole. After all Manny had ordered him to protect the child guardian. It wasn't like there wasn't room and Jack was here so often it made sense. North nodded to himself he would start searching for the room, he knew in his belly that Santoff Clausen had already worked it's magic and made for Jack. 

Jack had visited baby tooth today, insisting upon making her play games with him and together they had tired themselves out. Tooth fluttered over the chaos clicking her tongue as she saw the snow spread throughout her castle.

Her mini fairies were delighted to dive through it and throw it at each other while they took their little rest breaks. But only after pecking their sleeping Jack on the cheek, swooning when his mouth opened just a little bit, revealing his sparkling white teeth.

Baby tooth had been carried off to her little nest to sleep off her fatigue, but Toothiana had hesitated at Jack. She had a few nests for guests who stayed the night but they were for people who were much taller than Jack. He wouldn't even be able to climb out of them unless he used his staff. But she was nervous to put him in one encase he panicked at the height of the walls and thought he was trapped. She liked him coming over and didn't want him to be scared.

There was no way she could leave her little jack on the hard white floor to sleep either. Gently picking him up, she fluttered over to her own nest and lay down with him so that she would be there when he woke up to explain why she had put him there. She leant against the soft wall of the nest letting her mind wander. As her eyes flickered closed she wondered briefly if she should use feathers like with her baby teeth or twigs like for guests and herself. She thought over which might make the best nest for jack, while she thought about it tooth laid a hand over Jack protectively. Feathers would be what her little jack's nest was made out of she decided, her motherly nature rejoicing at finally having someone else to fuss over. She had done everything for her little teeth, but they were so independent now they rarely needed her. Jack, North had told her, would always need someone. She smiled wondering what her friend mother nature would think if she ever got to meet Jack. The two got along well; she often babysat the younger spirits when Mother Nature was needed to sort out a fight amongst the seasons. It wasn't often since she was so busy, but it brought her happiness. She cuddled Jack and put him down speeding off when she remembered Jack had brought a back pack with him this time.

The mini-fairies were already buzzing around it discussing opening it. She let them flutter away when she arrived. "Honestly ladies, disgracing the uniform!" Then she shot them all a grin and unzipped it. She wanted to know what was so special that Jack had chosen to keep it with him.

What she saw inside made her gasp; it was a little cuddly bear. She recognised it straight away as Phil and North's handiwork, it even had Jack's name sewn onto the bottom of one paw. She showed it to the mini-fairies who all cooed and made grabby hands at it. "No girls! The teddy is Jack's but he's shy about this kind of thing, don't say anything about it okay?"

They all saluted quickly and followed her when she settled it back down next to her snowflake.

Jack dropped down on the fluffy pillows of golden sand. This was truly the best place to sleep; he pulled his teddy out of his backpack and hugged it tightly. He'd been embarrassed when he woke up with it in the tooth palace but none of the little fairies had mentioned it, which made him feel a lot better. The dream sand was still hanging over him from when he avoided it all that time ago; he thought that maybe heading to the dream king himself to sleep would make it easier. The sand seemed to agree and swirled around him forming a blanket when he lay down.

Some of it sped off to Sandy, telling him in its own special way that Jack had come to visit again. Jack came often, but never ventured inside, Sandy guessed it was because he thought it would disturb him.

Sandy chuckled, he loved Jack's dreams they were full of mischief and fun. He nodded to the sand and ambled outside, his eye wondering towards the four other special bedrooms that he had in his sand castle.

He always had bedrooms for the guardians and spare rooms for the various spirits that visited him occasionally looking for a few days good rest to prepare for the next part of their job.

He often had to go out and fetch spirits to sleep to. He shook his head, convincing them that sleeping was as necessary as brushing was difficult. Bunnymund was the worst offender too, that bunny tried to hide it from his friend and kept working away on his designs.

Sandy smiled proudly; he always won in the end. No matter how many martial arts disciplines bunny learnt sleep would always win.

Finally making it outside he brushed the sleeping sand off and levitated him into the castle, careful not to disturb the Guardian's sleep.

He tilted his head and dreams of the guardians as a real family flooded Jack's sleep, the spirit patted Jack's head, of course he dreamt of family during the anniversary of losing his. His heart sunk a little as images of Jack's younger sister snuck in. He knew that would hurt the guardian when he woke up, he did his best to phase her out and hoped that Jack wouldn't remember when he woke up. Remembering the worry from the older guardians before Sandy sent a quick message to the others to tell them that he had Jack and he was okay. North responded instantly telling him just to look after him for a bit and let him sleep but he wanted to take him back to Santoff Clausen.

Sandy didn't respond this was a difficult time for the frost spirit perhaps returning to North wasn't the best thing just yet. It was unlikely that they would be seeing much of him for the next few weeks. He rearranged the teddy bear; even he wouldn't be seeing Jack's dreams for a few weeks. It frustrated him again that Jack would brush his teeth while he was off thinking but wouldn't sleep. But then again Toothiana had pushed him into brushing his teeth for a lot longer than he had been drilling people to sleep regularly.

Just as Sandy had guessed Jack left and disappeared for a few days leaving behind only snowdrifts and snow days in his wake. Sandy lost track of him when he evaded the dream sand for the eighth time.

Once that happened North had been in a frenzied state used to having him at one of the guardian's houses at least. Sandy kept them all calm, listening to their frustrated comments about how they'd spent 300 years not worrying. Bunnymund even went so far as to tell the moon off for sending them a child. Manny luckily had just found it amusing and shone brighter that night glad that his guardians were taking such good care of their youngest.

Bunnymund ignored his little snowflake annoyance. The delicate boy was leant against him sleeping soundly, teddy bear tucked under one arm. He stroked the white hair absently, pretending not to notice when Jack snuggled further into his chest. He'd been worried for weeks, it was difficult not to shake him awake and demand that he explain exactly why he'd disappeared then reappeared like nothing had happened.

He wasn't surprised when Jack sleep crawled into his lap; all children did that to him for some reason. Even Sophie still crawled into his lap and she was nearing the end of her twenties now. He smiled fondly, when he thought of her, she'd met a good guy a few months ago. One of the rare ones that Bunnymund approved of, he'd even followed them on a couple of dates, just to check.

The guy was a chocolatier, something that he completely approved of. His chocolate wasn't as good as his of course, but decent compared to most human made chocolate. He always treated Sophie to his new creations – even named one after her.

He didn't still believe like she did, but was fascinated by the stories she told him. He started up his own campaign, hiding extra chocolates for the children in his home town. It was slowly becoming famous, his little company building up to rival some of the best in the country.

The children of the town loved them both; he'd seen Sophie playing with two of the children of the orphaned children, her boyfriend watching with a look of love in his eyes. Bunny tugged Jack into a position where bones weren't digging into him.

He looked down at the egg he was painting and put it down to dry. "Stay close egg, I'm not finished painting you yet." It hopped happily and ran around showing off its new look to the others.

Feeling like the older brother he had never been, he called North and told him that Jack had turned up at his place exhausted. North had sighed exasperatedly and promised to be there soon.

Tucking the white hair back under his chin, bunny started to work again, taking extra care not to spill paint on the well-loved bear Jack was holding on to. He could see specks of dirt and patches of ice freezing over little tears. He cringed not envying the person who tried to wash it, Jack seemed pretty attached.

One of his egg guards waddled over, guiding North over to Bunnymund. North looked relieved when he saw that the two weren't fighting. Bunny stood up and handed Jack over to North.

"He came this morning and fell asleep straight away in one of my trees. He covered the ground in snow, looked like he'd forgotten to control his powers again." Bunnymund had been teaching Jack to control himself more, but it seemed that it had all been thrown out the window when he was tired.

"Ah, he might have been waiting to pull a prank when he fell asleep but thank you Aster. You busy here right now?" North looked around watching the few painting eggs tease the plain ones.

"Right now, No not really, just seeing how much of a head start I can get on my holiday, avoid the sleepless rush that annoys sandy so much." The Australian chuckled, walking north through his rabbit warren and back to his sleigh. "Why do you ask?"

"I just wondered if you'd like to come back for a bit. I'm throwing a party, Jack's birthday soon, he turns 304." North hopped up into his sleigh wrapping jack up and letting the frost settle over the blanket to keep him cool.

Aster flicked Jack's forehead. "No wonder he acts like a kid, such a young baby." He couldn't resist teasing Jack, even in his sleep.

The Christmas spirit gave him an incredulous look "he's child yes, baby no."

Chuckling bunny explained to North. "I was just teasing; it's one of those weird Australian things you never understand." North nodded deciding just to let the weird bunny say what he liked he had the better holiday anyway. "I will see you in five minutes or less?"

The Easter bunny opened his mouth to reject the offer but North fixed him with a scary Russian 'I'm expecting you' look.

"Yeah, yeah, less than five minutes. Tunnels are faster than your clunky sleigh." He tapped his foot and disappeared.

North checked on Jack before taking off, heading home.


End file.
